So film photography practices are outdated, as well as the brands that produced them so how can they give people the feel of film with modern technology? Fujifilm's answer is the X100 range, fixed lens viewfinder cameras that are fully digital with settings to mimic film.
This camera range most specifically the newest version the X100V recently blew up on TikTok with loads of influencers crediting their 'dreamy' pictures online to the camera and singing its praises. From the onset this looks like it could be a solution to our problem, it removes the most harmful part about film photography and aims to keep all the good bits, the warmth, the grain, the experience.
So first of all the looks, you can see this camera looks a lot like classic film cameras. It has that fixed 35mm lens and classic aluminium body. It's a similar size and has all of the same controls for shutter speed and aperture that a film camera would have, mimicking the feel of shooting on film very well looks wise. From reviews online I can see that the feel is very similar to film. You can also use the manual view finder just like a film camera if you want to or the built in digital screen. This spec is pretty standard in cameras that fall into this digital-film category.
What makes this so great is that you can simulate some of the classic Fujifilm 35mm films with different filters so that you get that similar dreamy, warm feel straight out of the camera without editing - a massive win. The new model offers lots of customisation options with the filters too so you can find almost all of your favourites.
Reviews from digital camera users note that it's a camera you have to work with (just like film). There are constraints to the way you can shoot with it but that's what makes it fun. This camera does a great job at miming a film camera for sure, but can it replace it?
With the huge trend in film photography at the moment these cameras have become so popular that they are sold out almost everywhere with resale prices through the roof. So it's not that accessible due to cost. Another thing, which is a pro or an issue depending on your view is that there is no mystery to what your photos will look like once developed. I actually quite like the wait and surprised feeling but have had times where I have been disappointed so there's two sides to the problem.
I really would like to try this out for myself to compare and see how I feel about it compared to film.
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